Lady Astor’s Diamond and Sapphire Necklace

Today marks the 140th Anniversary of the Birth of Nancy, Viscountess Astor, who was born on this day in 1879! The fascinating American Heiress who became the first female Member of Parliament to take her seat in the British House of Commons, Lady Astor possessed several spectacular Jewels, including this Cartier Diamond and Sapphire Necklace!

The Astor Tiara | Cartier Turquoise Tiara | Diamond and Sapphire Necklace

A spectacular Diamond Chain of Diamond Shamrocks set with sapphires, along with a pair of earrings, what was likely acquired from American jeweller ahead of the First World War, which could be worn in several splendid configurations.

It’s not just a diamond necklace, it’s like a diamond skipping rope! It’s huge! It’s nearly four foot long, It’s also with a pair of little drops worn on the ears, very subtle, very pretty.

I think that this is a pre First World War, platinum diamond and sapphire necklace, that was bought second hand.

I think this necklace was bought from a high class American jeweller – usually this kind of style is French, it’s got no marks, I think it’s American 1910.

But I can tell you it breaks down into no less that six separate components. And this was another feature of jewellery from that period, that you could wear it one long necklace or break it down into a series of shorter bracelets which could be worn with a shorter necklace. And there’s this extension piece at the back here and then to supplement it, you have the drops for the ears.

Lady Astor’s legendary Jewellery Collection was described by her maid:

Apart from the Sancy diamond and the pearls, the other special pieces of jewellery were the tiaras. Her ladyship had five. The most beautiful and valuable was the Astor heirloom, the second was a bandeau of diamonds and pearls, the third aquamarines and diamonds, the fourth she bought herself — it was of spiky diamonds – and the fifth was an imitation of the first. It was used by her for the less important occasions and she also often lent it to her friends. All her most precious jewellery was expensive to wear because from the moment it left the bank until its return there was a special insurance premium in operation. Not that she ever stopped to think about that. She loved wearing it and she often used too much for my taste. She’d turn round to me and say, ‘How do I look, Rose?’ and I’d reply, ‘Haven’t you forgotten the kitchen stove, my lady?’ earning myself the customary, ‘Shut up, Rose!’

Then she had a big sapphire and diamond chain which she’d separate and wear as bracelets, one on each wrist, and two large diamond earrings, as large as cobnuts they were.

Viscountess Astor wore the Diamond and Sapphire Necklace as a pair of Bracelets with her Cartier Tiara with the Sancy Diamond for the Coronation of King George VI in 1937. A prominent hostess at Cliveden and No. 4 St. James’s Square in London, Lady Astor was known for being a lavish hostess, though she did have her enemies, including Sir Winston Churchill, with whom she had this famous exchange with Lady saying, “If I was your wife, I would poison your coffee,” and Sir Winston snorted back, “If I were your husband, I would drink it.”

The first female Member of Parliament to take her seat in the British House of Commons, Lady Astor was the MP for Plymouth for 26 years and when she received the Freedom of the City of Plymouth in 1959, she presented her Cartier Diamond and Sapphire Necklace to the Lady Mayoresses in perpetuity, as Lady Astor’s maid described:

There were two great events which regaled my lady’s last years: her eightieth birthday party and the bestowing on her of the Freedom of the City of Plymouth. Why the citizens had waited so long to give her this was something none of us could understand, but then in my experience city councillors are a rum, self-seeking and self-important lot. They even make me feel snobbish. Not quite out of the top drawer, many of them, and going out of their way to make this apparent. Some members showed how they felt about democracy by refusing to attend. It was one of the early symptoms of a disease which has now become widespread.

However my lady managed brilliantly without their presence. She rose to any such occasion and gave a glimpse of her old energy and spirit. She also gave the city a splendid present, her diamond and sapphire necklace, to grace the bosoms of future mayoresses. I hope they’ve found some at least half as worthy of it as she was.

However, the presentation of the necklace was not without incident, as Lady Astor’s maid recalled:

On the way to the dinner in her honour (she was wearing the necklace at the time), she lost part of it, a pear-shaped diamond drop with two shamrock shapes, valued then at £500. She had to apologize that it was incomplete, but since it was insured she was able to promise them that it would eventually be made whole. She also announced that anyone finding it would receive ten per cent of its value.

When she returned from the ceremony she told me about the loss. I searched everywhere and eventually discovered it in the gutter outside 3 Elliot Terrace. My efforts were applauded, but needless to say when I mentioned my right to the reward it fell upon deaf ears.

In 2015, the then Lord Mayor of Plymouth presented Lady Astor’s Cartier Diamond and Sapphire Necklace in an episode of Antiques Roadshow, when it was valued between £500,000 to £600,000 for insurance.

The occasion was 1959 when the Freedom of the City was being bestowed on Lady Astor who had been the MP for 26 years prior to that

She was presenting unexpectedly a diamond necklace she wore frequently with earrings to the then Lady Mayoress Mrs Washburn. She gave the diamonds to the City in perpetuity for the Lady Mayors to wear on certain occasions each year.

She was known for her generosity, but mostly in Plymouth she was known for her extraordinary loyalty to Plymouth city herself.

You have absolutely cast factual provenance for this piece and if a piece of jewellery like this came up for auction the international interest for it would be universal! Not only because it’s a beautiful piece of jewellery but because it was owned by one of the most famous women who lived in this country and who was American as well – so the American market appeal would be fantastic too

I think it would sell for probably about £300,000 and £400,000 at least. And I think bearing in mind provenance can make a huge different, this has to be worth insurance at least £500,000 to £600,000.

It is well above the most expensive and most important piece of jewellery I’ve ever had to film on the Antiques Roadshow”

The Astor Tiara | Cartier Turquoise Tiara | Diamond and Sapphire Necklace